'ISAFP agent' caught for guns

A civilian who claimed to be a confidential agent of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines was arrested by the operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group yesterday morning in barangay San Miguel, San Remigio town, for having two guns.

CIDG-7 operations chief Chief Insp. Rex Derilo yesterday said that they arrested Durbin Balila, 53, after they received a tip that he sold guns.

Derilo said that when they tried to verify from the Military Intelligence Group if Balila was one of their members, the agency denied it and they immediately applied for a search warrant from judge Geraldine Faith Econg of Regional Trial Court Branch 9. They then proceeded to San Remigio town yesterday morning and immediately served the warrant against him.

The operatives were able to seize a .45 cal. pistol with six live bullets and an Ingram machine pistol from his house as well as documents for the firearms, which they doubted were authentic.

Derilo also said they found an ISAFP ID bearing his name and designation as a confidential agent, the ID was also signed by former 78th Infantry Battalion commander Jonas Sumagaysay.

When presented to the reporters yesterday the suspect said he was once a soldier but left the service in 1980.

He claimed he has the guns because he was often hired to guard a Syrian who has some properties in Tabogon and San Remigio. He also admitted training a group of men to guard the properties of the Syrian but denied providing them guns. - Flor Z. Perolina/BRP